19 Years Later
by MadameSheep
Summary: Astoria struggles with the fact that her little boy is about to leave her to begin his schooling at Hogwarts while Draco struggles with the fact that his son may not be making the wisest of choices when it comes to his new friendships.


She was trying with all of her might to resist the idea of clutching him to her chest and never letting him go.

"He'll be fine," Her husband whispered into her ear. On her other side, she tensed the hand that was resting gently upon her son's back.

"I know he will, but that doesn't make this any easier."

"Astoria.." He groaned

"Yes, Draco?" She snapped at him.

"You guys know I can hear you, right?" Her son's voice brought her attention to her side. Merlin, was he already eleven?

"I'm sorry, Sweetling. I don't mean to ignore you." She couldn't help a but coo at him and a light flush tainted her son's pale cheeks.

"Mum.." Scorpius growled at her. Astoria inwardly groaned. He was sounding more like his father every day. But who knew if it would stay that way with him so far away.

"I know. I get it. Uncool mother is uncool." She smiled at him before letting her hand slowly fall from it's guiding position upon his shoulder blades. As if to compensate, she grabbed Draco's hand in a vice grip.

"You're going to cut off my circulation, Astoria," He whispered to her.

"Get over it." She hissed back into his ear.

Draco simply rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. Despite his griping, he knew how hard this day was going to be on his wife.

The trio stepped through the Platform gate and were immediately assaulted by the sheer number of people that crowded the walkway. Astoria was the one to plow through them all, though many seemed perfectly content to let the Malfoy family pass by without incident. There were stares and glares of course, but it was nothing that Astoria was not accustomed to. She paid them no mind as she brought her family next to a column that wasn't too far away from the door of the Hogwarts Express. That very train that was going to sweep her son away to begin his life as a wizard.

She drew in a shaky breath as Scorpius looked at her. He was almost up to her shoulders. Who knew? By the time he came home for the Christmas Holidays, he could very well be as tall as her. It caused a whole new wave of panic and desperation to mangle her heart.

"I know you're going to have a wonderful time this year, Scorpius," She said. Her arms wrapped around him for a tight hug before she sent him on his way. He still seemed so small to her; still the little boy who liked to play hide and seek around the manor and harass the peacocks. But he was growing up on her. "No matter where you end up, Sweetling. Your father and I are so proud of you," She whispered into his blonde hair and kissed the crown of his head.

Then she let her little boy go.

He turned to Draco next, and Astoria watched her husband smile at his son. He was so different from Lucius. He was the best kind of father. He knelt to meet Scorpius's eyes and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're a Malfoy. You know what that means, right?" He asked his son.

Scorpius nodded. "We will succeed. No matter what."

"That's right. I know it's intimidating heading to school for the first time, but I have complete faith in you, Scorpius. I know you'll make us proud." Draco said. Astoria's heart swelled as Draco stood once more, and pulled his son into a one-armed hug. Tears pricked at her eyes.

A clattering and an unhappy screech came from the cage where Scorpius's owl, Balerion, was caged. The Great Horned owl was still a baby but was already ready to get this show on the road. Just like Scorpius. She sighed, looking over to where the other parents were wishing their children farewells before sending them onto The Hogwarts Express. Was anyone else having this hard of a time? All of the other parents was smiling and wiping happy tears from their eyes as they sent their children to board the train..

Did no one else feel as if their heart was being wrenched out?

Draco put a hand on her back as they moved closer to entry to the passenger car. Scorpius looked up at her over his shoulder and Astoria knew that this was really it. It was best for him. She knew that. And besides the War happening and throwing her life into chaos, her time at Hogwarts was more than enjoyable. Some of the best years of her life. She should be happy that her son was going to get to experience all of those years. And he wouldn't have those years tainted by war.

Her baby hugged onto her one last time and nodded his head towards his father, before boarding the train with Balerion's cage in his hand.

"I don't know how I'm going to go on without him," She mumbled.

Draco's arm went around her waist, tugging her closer against him. "He's not leaving forever, Astoria. He's going to school for a few months, and then he'll be home for Christmas. And you can be like my Mum and send him stuff all the time."

"I'll spoil him rotten and flood him with letters, I swear it. And no matter where he is sorted we are going to be ecstatic, you hear me?" She said. Astoria leaned against her husband's shoulder. She spun her wedding ring on her finger, a nervous habit she had developed years ago.

"Of course we will be. As long as he doesn't start associating with Potter's brood."

"Draco, stop being a prat."

"It got your mind off things, didn't it?" He said, squeezing her softly.

She smiled. "It did."

"Oi, Malfoy! Can you move aside?"

Astoria inwardly groaned at the voice. He had been doing so well. But if you toss that bunch nearby, there was sure to be trouble.

Draco untangled himself from Astoria and sent chilly look towards the Weasley clan. At least Potter didn't seem to be nearby. Yet.

"I'm starting to wonder if your family just multiplies, Weasley. Every time I look at you I seem to see eight more of you. How is it that you manage to do that?" Draco's voice was more than a little disparing. Astoria pursed her lips. Of course they couldn't get away with dropping their son off without running into trouble. Of course not.

"Shove off, Malfoy. I'm just here to drop off Rosie," said Ron Weasley. Hermione Weasley stood behind him, arms clasped around a small girl with wild, curling auburn hair while a younger boy clutched onto her skirt. Astoria gave her a little smile. Hermione returned it, finding some amount of motherly bond between them. They were all sending off their children today on a day like this. And as much as she didn't really consider the Weasley clan her friends, she relate with the sadness in the other woman's eyes.

"I'll be staying here until I see my son off, Weasley," Draco said, raising his head high.

Astoria rolled her eyes and pulled Draco aside, allowing Hermione to herd her family towards the train. She felt Draco tense and his pursed lips showed just how irritated he actually was. Draco had laid down most of his qualms with the trio over the years, but some personalities would just always clash.

"I could have done without seeing their sort here," Draco snarled.

Astoria rubbed a hand across his arm comfortingly. "You're going to have to get used to it, My Love. There's a 25% chance that Scorpius could end up in the same house as little Rose. And an even higher chance that he'll be with at least one of that group's children."

"Merlin knows they have enough of them."

"Behave."

"I'm working on it."

Astoria smiled and took his hand, walking along the platform and glancing up to the windows of the train. "It's strange to think that we were sitting up there not that long ago."

"It's stranger to think that Scorpius is up there now."

Astoria nodded, trying to locate her son among the many faces waving goodbye to their parents. Her eyes finally caught her son's shock of white-blonde hair. She grabbed Draco's arm, pointing to Scorpius. She felt the rush of pride that she supposed she was supposed to be feeling all day.

Her little boy was going to Hogwarts.

"Draco, there he is! Wave!" She was practically bouncing in her heels as she waved to her son, trying to catch his attention. He didn't notice her at first—he was talking to someone at the compartment's door. But he finally looked to the window and his father's smirk came across his lips and he waved in return.

"Astoria?"

"Yes, Darling? What is it?"

"Who is it that Scorpius is sitting by? Can you see? I've heard that Zabini's daughter is on the train somewhere. Maybe he's found her?" Draco said. Astoria squinted at the window, trying to make out the figure.

"I don't think it's Zabini's girl, Draco." She mused.

Draco scoffed. "Well let's hope it's not Parkinson's brat. I'd hate for Scorpius to fall into such a bad crowd so early on."

"I'm sure he'll be fine, My Love."

"Ron! I see her! She's over here! Rosie!"

Hearing Hermione Weasley's voice so close behind her made it all too clear who her darling boy was sitting beside. Now that Astoria gave it a good look, she could definitely make out the wild, dark red curls. Rose Weasley came closer to the window and sat across from Scorpius in the compartment and waved enthusiastically at her parents before turned and smiling at Scorpius.

Draco was looking none too pleased when she turned her attention away from the window and back to him. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"You were saying?"

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><p>Well, I'm finally back and working on my stories now that Nanowrimo is finished. In the end, i finished 4 days ahead of schedule, which is exciting. Too bad I'm disgusted with what I wrote for the most part because it's absolutely horrible. But that's what editing is for, right?<br>I'm pretty pleased with this. I definitely needed something playful after the seriousness of my Nanowrimo project. I hope everyone likes it.

Read & Review

And more importantly, ENJOY!

MadameSheep


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